Lucknow/Meerut/Varanasi/PRAYAGRAJ, May 15 -- At least 111 people died and 72 were injured in 25 districts after hailstorm, heavy rain and lightning wreaked havoc across the state between Wednesday and Thursday morning, according to Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod. Officials said the high death toll resulted from a lethal combination of extremely high wind speeds, fragile infrastructure, lightning exposure and the timing of the weather event. Strong winds with velocities ranging from 74 to 130 kmph hit several districts, the met office said. The meteorological office added that the highest wind speed of 130 kmph was recorded in Bareilly and Prayagraj districts. "Thunderstorms or dust storms are not unusual during this season. The unusual phenomenon was its speed which was recorded in excess of 100 kmph at several places," said Mohd Danish, a senior scientist at the Lucknow met office. The met office also said the storm resulted from western disturbances active over Jammu and Kashmir, coupled with cyclonic circulations over western Central Uttar Pradesh. The storm originated from north-west UP and moved towards the state's eastern region, according to the met office. Chandauli was lashed by winds at 113 kmph, Budaun at 109 kmph, Mirzapur and Rampur at 107 kmph and Moradabad at 102 kmph. Unnao and Shamli at 96 kmph, Rae Bareli 94, Rampur at 93 kmph, the met office said. Disaster management officials said such wind speeds dramatically increase the possibility of structural failure, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where many homes have tin sheets, temporary roofing, ageing brick walls or loosely anchored structures. "The fatalities largely occurred because people were caught in structurally unsafe locations when the storm struck suddenly," a senior official said. The most deaths were reported in Prayagraj (21), Mirzapur (19), Sant Ravidas Nagar (16), and Fatehpur (11), according to data provided by the relief commissioner's office. Reports of 170 livestock losses and damage to 227 houses have also been received from various districts. Officials said the majority of deaths were caused by secondary impacts triggered by violent winds and lightning. These included collapsing walls and roofs, uprooted trees falling on houses and vehicles, electrocution from snapped power lines, and direct lightning strikes in open agricultural fields. The relief commissioner said the situation in various districts is being monitored regularly by the Integrated Control and Command Centre. District magistrates have been directed to launch relief and rescue operations in their respective districts. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the damage caused by storm, rain, and lightning in Uttar Pradesh. He directed officials to accelerate relief operations, restore power supply and ensure compensation to affected families. The chief minister has directed officials to immediately visit the affected sites, provide assistance to the victims and release compensation, said a state government spokesperson. Ministers in charge of various districts have also been directed to visit their respective districts on Friday to monitor the relief operation, he said. The chief minister also instructed district magistrates to provide updates on the situation every three hours to his office. Information regarding loss of human lives, livestock loss, and crop damage has come from 25 districts, including Barabanki, Bahraich, Kanpur Dehat, Basti, Sambhal, Hardoi, and Unnao. A large number of houses have also been damaged due to the hailstorm and rain, he said. Officials said many victims in eastern and central Uttar Pradesh were outdoors during farming, commuting or market activity when the storm intensified rapidly. Authorities said the timing of the storm also contributed to the scale of casualties. The violent weather developed during active evening movement in many districts, when roads, marketplaces and outdoor work areas remained crowded. Meteorological experts indicated that intense heat build-up over the past several days likely created highly unstable atmospheric conditions, allowing thunderclouds to develop into destructive squall systems capable of generating hurricane-force gusts over land. In Badaun district, five people, including two young girls, lost their lives as collapsing walls, uprooted trees and storm-related accidents wreaked havoc across the Bisauli region. One of the worst-hit locations was Siddhpur Kaitholi village in the Bisauli area, where four people had taken shelter beneath a thatched structure after the weather suddenly turned violent. According to officials, Kallo Devi, 40, and her 18-year-old daughter Neha had gone outside the village to collect cow dung cakes along with Rajni, 9, daughter of Sher Singh, and Mausami, 10, daughter of Sunil. As thunder and powerful winds intensified, the group rushed under a nearby shelter, but the supporting wall collapsed during the storm. While Kallo Devi and Neha managed to escape, Rajni died on the spot, while Mausami succumbed to injuries at a hospital shortly after being admitted. In another incident, Yogesh, 35, a dumper driver from Nagla Bhopat village in Bulandshahr district, died after a eucalyptus tree crashed onto his vehicle near the temporary route constructed for the Sot bridge project while he was transporting gravel toward Bilsi. Officials said the high-speed winds uprooted the tree, which fell directly onto the dumper, killing Yogesh instantly. Another fatal incident occurred in Tark Parauli village under Faizganj Behta police station limits. Villagers working in a mentha field had taken shelter inside a room near a tubewell after the storm intensified suddenly. A nearby tree collapsed onto the structure, causing the room to cave in. Lakshmi, 50, wife of Amar Singh, died on the spot, while another woman sustained injuries. Anshul Sharma, 20, of Gulabbagh village, who had sustained critical injuries after being struck by a falling tree during a storm on Tuesday evening, died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Bisauli tehsildar Surendra Kumar said revenue officials had been directed to assess crop losses, particularly damage to maize and other standing crops, along with property destruction and human casualties. "A detailed report will be sent to the state government, and financial assistance will be provided to affected families according to official guidelines," he said, adding that police and forest department teams were instructed to clear fallen trees and restore traffic movement. Meanwhile, in Sambhal district, two people died in separate incidents in Gangheta village under the Kaila Devi police station area after the fierce storm and heavy rainfall struck the region. Nemwati, 32, wife of Durvesh, died after an electricity pole collapsed on her while she was returning home from a cattle shed during the storm. Bhagwan Singh, 32, died after a wall collapsed on him while he was trying to secure a hut outside his home from the powerful winds. The death toll has risen to 21 in Prayagraj besides five people lost their lives in Pratapgarh. As per the administration, in addition to the human casualties, 20 livestock were lost and five people sustained injuries during the storm. In Sonbhadra, the storm caused the death of three people. It also damaged 81 houses in different parts of the district, said Sonbhadra district magistrate Charchit Gaur. In Varanasi, a 22-year-old man, identified as Mohit Vishwakarma, suffered injuries when the wall of a house currently under construction suddenly collapsed. He was immediately admitted to a private hospital for treatment. Following first aid, he was referred to the Trauma Center at BHU for advanced medical care....